21 Apr 2008 - In the News
The wave of food-price inflation sweeping across the world has deep and devastating implications in poor communities. Food riots have now occurred in nine countries. Experts are at a loss as to what this will mean for economic, social and political stability in the developing world. What is clear is that this crisis will profoundly affect the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable children and families.
Due to the loss of a parent, households are less able to buy or produce food. According to FAO, food consumption has been found to drop 40% in homes affected by HIV and AIDS. Child headed households often lack basic agricultural skills and nutrition health and knowledge and thus their garden plots often do not yield enough for household consumption let alone to sell on the market. The crisis places AIDS orphans at high risk of malnutrition, limited physical and mental development and starvation.
Programs supporting AIDS orphans help to address this issue through feeding assistance, support in agricultural skills and knowledge and income development. Scaling-up these programs will communities respond to the food crisis and will help protect the health and development and future of a generation of children.
Help us to act. Make children a priority in the fight against AIDS. Tell world leaders to act.
From Chris Singer on 24 April 2008, 12:15
The rise in food costs is directly related to the fact that foods are being grown to be used as fuel. Not to mention, that farm subsidies being paid to U.S. farmers is contributing to this as well. Biofuels could be made from any organic material. Why corn is being used as a fuel instead of for food has more to do with who's getting paid than anything else. Farmers could still generate an income by growing grass. The clippings could be used as material to make the biofuel. All of this shows once again that wealth is a priority of vulnerable children. It is children and families who suffer from this greed and ignorance.